When anyone mentions Pirates of the Caribbean, it is difficult to not immediately think of Johnny Depp’s Captain Jack Sparrow swaggering his way through a storm of chaos of his own making. For that reason alone many people have trouble imagining the franchise continuing without its talismanic lead. Someone else who believes that Depp needs to be part of the franchise’s future is producer Jerry Bruckheimer. In a recent interview with Deadline, Bruckheimer explained exactly what it is about Depp that makes him believe he should be brought back to the franchise again. He said:
"He’s just so good at what he does and actors recover from things like this. He’s a good individual and he’s a caring individual. He’s somebody that you can rely on and he’s just terrific. I think Johnny is an utter friend and an amazing artist and, again, you go through things in life you wish you hadn’t, but he’s still a talented artist."
Exactly what will happen with the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise is up in the air right now. Since Depp was dropped from potential involvement in Pirates 6 following his legal issues with Amber Heard, the franchise appeared to be enlisting Margot Robbie as its new lead in a reboot of the swashbuckling money-spinner. However, recent updates have suggested that there are more than one Pirates of the Caribbean movie in development, but no one seems to know which will end up being made.
Who Will Star in the Next Pirates of the Caribbean Movie?
Currently there are two different iterations of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise being considered for the future. As Bruckheimer previously explained:
"We have a very good script. We developed two of them — the one with Margot Robbie and one with a younger cast. The Margot Robbie one needs a little more work. The younger cast one is close. Hopefully we’ll get both of them. It’s alive for me. It’s alive for Disney. I’m sure she was disappointed it didn’t go first — or maybe not because she’s very busy, so it might be a blessing to push this a bit. We believe we’ll get it made. It’s a very strong story."
Where exactly this leaves a possible return for Johnny Depp is unknown, but it certainly seems like there are other iterations of the character in the works that don’t revolve around Jack Sparrow. However, Bruckheimer has always maintained the stance that Depp’s place in the legacy of the franchise is not in doubt. There are undoubtedly many fans of Depp who would love to see him back in the franchise, but the question of whether the actor needs the franchise is another argument entirely.
For now, Depp hasn’t made any indication that he wants to return again on the screen as Jack Sparrow, and no matter how much fans would love to see him swaggering on the plank, it is as much down to the actor’s desire to return to the role that will determine whether it happens or not.